The Commander and the Saiyaness
by Apollo1147
Summary: In a time when Earth is at peace from the Ice-jin Empire, a new monarch is in power with a new vision and his more trusted confidant. While they try to bring the Ice-jin race into a new age, a woman imprisoned under Frieza's rule surfaces. Can a Saiyan ever fit into Ice-jin society, and can love heal wounds that have run deep for a lifetime?
1. Introductions

This is a story set after the Frieza and Cooler Saga/Movie, but is a cast of completely original characters created by hippiechic and myself set far, far away from Earth. My writing partner and I obviously do not own DBZ in any way, shape or form, but these characters are most definitely and completely ours!

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Chapter One: Introductions

"Just ahead is the medical bay," Kiron announced the information on his copy of the ship's schematics, "and across from that lies the lock-down area. Which shall we inspect first, My Lord?"

Frost never diverted his eyes from directly ahead. He had inherited this disaster of a prison compound from his cousin, when Cooler rushed to some faraway planet called Earth to seek revenge for the deaths of King Cold and Lord Frieza. The last act Cooler had undertaken before leaving the port had been to commandeer the most advanced ship in the fleet, leaving only rust buckets behind for Frost's use; of course, no one ever imagined he would never return from his voyage. Therefore, no one had made any provisions for his prisoners on this forlorn rock, and it had taken Frost years to discover its presence, much less travel to the outskirts of their territory for an inspection.

"Let us inspect the brig for any vermin. They should be secured before we continue," Lord Frost stated simply.

"As you wish." Kiron complied with his lord's wishes and stepped forward to open the door to the lock-down unit. He entered first to determine if the area was secure, then waited for Emperor Frost to join him.

Serona shivered as the door opened, disturbing the stale air of her confinement. She looked to the door to see a large, commanding figure step through. She considered moving, but did not know whether to shrink away or rise to the occasion. In the end, she decided on nothing; she was too tired and weak to muster the energy to perform either task.

As Frost followed Kiron through the door, he frowned at the low level of lighting. The place felt all the more like a dungeon for the miniscule glowing of a few bulbs. "Surely, there must be more light here than this."

Before his master had voiced a concern, Kiron had already begun scanning the depths of the darkness for a way to increase the lighting. "Yes, My Lord," he commented softly as he reached his hand out to vanquish the darkness.

"Much better, Commander Kiron," Frost commented, as the room became more illuminated, revealing a long hall-like configuration with cells to one side in which prisoners would be kept. "Who do we have in here?"

Kiron referred to the information he had received on the ship's inhabitants. "It would appear the late lord left one prisoner, a Saiyan female. It says here, she was imprisoned by Lord Frieza and passed to Lord Cooler just before the lord's demise."

"I see," Frost commented noncommittally.

Allowing his master a few moments to absorb all the information he had been given during their tour, Kiron stepped to the doorway of the only occupied cell and turned on the lights within the cell to inspect the occupant.

Serona winced as the bright light illuminated her cell, closing her eyes as they adjusted to the light. So long had she been confined to the dark depths of the brig, she had honed her mental skills. They allowed her to keep tabs on activities outside her four walls of incarceration and had quite possibly been the only factor in ensuring she did not go completely mad.

She had felt the strength of the two newcomers long before they made their way to her tiny cell, but there was nothing she could do to prepare to meet them. Slowly, she blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the luxury that was light, but found she was unable to risk even a glance as the two men approached.

Looking in at the pitiful creature before him, Kiron could not help feeling a sense of empathy toward her. She was filthy, and her body was covered in healing wounds. The fact that she had been tortured was abundantly apparent.

She was laying on the hard floor, without so much as a blanket, and Kiron kneeled to be closer to her level. "Are you the Saiyan woman known as Serona?"

Fighting the urge to turn away, she forced herself to turn her face toward Kiron, her eyes downcast. Forcing herself to speak, she nodded slightly. "Yes," she replied quietly, her voice hoarse.

Kiron tried hard not to show any emotion as he heard the harshness in her voice. "Do you know who we are?"

Serona cleared her throat as she prepared to look at whom she assumed were her new captors. She started at Kiron's feet, then dragged her eyes up his body, to his face, where she was confronted with bright eyes set in a face trained well to hide emotion. She then flicked her eyes over to his companion; the familial resemblance was clear to her, not only in form but energy signal.

"He is Frost," she said flatly, no love lost for the members of the Ice-jin royal family. "But, as for you..." She studied his face again before the intensity became too great, forcing her to duck her head in embarrassment. "I do not know."

"He is _Emperor_ _Lord_ Frost, of the Ice-jin Empire, to you," Kiron stated insistently. "I am his servant, Kiron."

"Lord Commander Kiron," Frost corrected softly from behind the couching man.

A look of slight embarrassment crossed Kiron's face for a fleeting moment. He did not enjoy Frost's insistence that he use the title which had been bestowed on him. Compared to his lord, Kiron felt most humbled. "Yes, My Lord," he replied softly.

His embarrassment past, Kiron resumed questioning the woman before him. "We know you were taken prisoner from Vegeta-sei by Lord Frieza, but the records do not indicate why. Would you know the reasoning behind his actions?"

Frost shook his head. "Not now, Kiron. The girl needs medical attention."

Hearing the words Frost left unspoken, Kiron nodded quickly and stood. He inspected the keypad controlling all the cells' doors and entered a code, which opened Serona's door. Kiron quickly entered the cell, lifted the woman into his arms and gently transported her to the medical bay, where a doctor began working to return the prisoner to a state of healthiness.

When the doctor had finished his work, Kiron took his place at Serona's side, Frost having left before to attend to business elsewhere on the colony. "You were explaining why you were taken from your home before we relocated to medical," he prodded Serona to tell her story.

"Why Frieza would take me from my home, at barely five years of age, before he wiped us out?" Serona asked, devoid of emotion. She fully expected this to be another mind game.

"I don't know…" Serona started, not wanting to relive those early days…or more recent days. With a sigh, she continued, "We had a vile connection… He could take what I have learned, I can give willingly…" she started cryptically, before shaking her head.

"Let me start again. Do I have to tell you?" she asked, still unwilling to look directly at Kiron. Instead, she immersed herself in inspecting the doctor's work, and to her surprise some of the scars had immediately lessened in their intensity. With a hopeful rush, she discreetly pulled up her top to inspect a long-standing wound inflicted long ago.

However, an ugly, elongated, circular, papery scar still marked her stomach, starting just above her hip. Rubbing her face with one hand, she covered it.

Without further encouragement, Serona continued. "I had something he wanted. Zarbon...was instructed to take me. It was another slap in the face – Frieza in control of the two members of the future monarchy… But, then ironically, he saved it, didn't he?"

She stopped talking, knowing she was rambling. She was only accustomed to her own company and her own train of thoughts. A proper conversation was something she had long been without.

An air of seriousness overcame her, as she finally brought herself to look directly at Kiron. "Is this all another trick?" she asked. If deceit did not come through in his words, she wanted a chance to see the proof in his face.

"Another trick?" Kiron questioned Serona before frowning deeply. "You expect me to believe you were simply a victim of Lord Frieza's eccentricities? You did nothing to elicit your incarceration?"

Serona retracted into herself at the accusation. Shaking her head, she looked at Kiron with the utmost sincerity.

"I was only just five years old when I was taken. Can any child do any crime worthy of lifelong imprisonment at that age?" she asked with a slight frown and not a hint of sarcasm. "I intrigued him." She tapped her cheekbone, drawing Kiron's attention to the colour of her eyes. "Legend of a Super Saiyan, among other things… But, I suppose as I got older, I probably did more things to warrant my treatment."

She trailed off; her mind flicking back to the only damage she ever inflicted on Frieza in her late teenage years: cracking one of his cruel, revolting black horns. The retaliation she took in response was not proportional by any means, but the pain afterward was worth knowing the white tyrant was not invincible – there was hope.

"You can't take a child, treat them as a pet – and worse – and expect them not to retaliate. Especially not a Saiyan…"

She looked around the medical bay again, the bright clean area a welcome change of scene. "What is my fate now?" she asked, as her attention was brought to sight of a window. She ached to see something other than the prison's barren walls.

Kiron studied Serona as she spoke. "I suppose your fate depends upon you, now. What would you wish for your fate?"

"My fate…" Serona whispered to herself, before bringing her attention back toward Kiron with a frown. "Sounds like a game to me. What I would _wish_ for is my freedom. I want to walk off this ship and find whoever survives of my kind. Probably starting with Vegeta…"

She paused at the thought of actually seeing Vegeta – all those years of being so close, yet so far… He did not even know she survived; that much was clear. He would have moved on by now, found someone else, but for now, she had an oath she had to maintain for her parent's honour. Well, somewhat. She had offered the oath every kind of insult over the years.

Against his desire, Kiron's eyes softened ever-so-slightly. "I am afraid that will be impossible. None of us are, nor ever will, be free. We all enjoy differing degrees of slavery and servitude." As the doctor moved within hearing range of the pair, Kiron ended his speech. "Perhaps, you will find your new lord to suit you better than those of the past."

Serona moved to protest, as an overwhelming sadness sprang to her eyes; yet, no tears could fall. She was tired of crying. Too much time was wasted over the emotion in her youth. She shook her head, her throat hot and heavy as the hope she had unwittingly allowed herself was slaughtered. Her life was, once again, forfeit to an Ice-jin.

Kiron's hand moved toward Serona's chin as if it had a mind entirely of its own, and he caressed her with the backs of his fingers when the doctor moved away from them. "Give my lord a chance, Serona," he spoke softly. "Your race was destroyed by a hasty decision applied to an entire race, based on the actions and potential of one member. Do not make the same mistake as your worst enemy."

Serona instinctively jumped away from his touch and looked at him wide-eyed. Her shock turned into a slight frown, as she considered his words. "I would never wipe out an entire race…" she said, sure she was not understanding his meaning. "And, I can't give anyone a chance…" she finished, looking down into her lap, wondering when she would wake up and be back in Cooler's unforgiving possession – or worse.

"No, you _could_ destroy an entire race. It is in your species' blood. You cannot deny that. When the moon is full, no one is safe from a Saiyan's wrath.

"As for giving others a chance, you do not really have much choice." Kiron considered her situation. "The way I see things is this: you are in this prison colony and under my lord's power. That cannot be changed. What can change are the conditions under which you are held. You can be a member of the crew, who will be leaving soon, or you can go back to living in a dungeon. That choice, is yours and is much more than you have been offered in the past. I would consider your options very carefully before choosing your path, and remember, someone is giving you a chance this time - a choice."

"A choice with a condition? I am not making any promises; I have been taken advantage of too many times," she replied, twirling a thick lock of her hair around a finger. The concept of actually having a choice – if it was genuine – was also completely foreign to her. Any perceived 'choices' previously offered by Frieza would inevitably have the same outcome, no matter her choice.

"All choices have conditions," Kiron replied with the slightest hint of a smile in the lengthening of his lips.

"So, shall I inform our lord that you wish to be employed in his service, under my command?"

Serona looked at Kiron, really looked at him. The intensity of his eyes, the demanding presence of his being, his immaculate presentation and the well-trained stoic face. He did not look like one who would be deceitful, but Serona knew not to trust appearances.

Narrowing her eyes and turning her face slightly, she gave her unsure answer, "Yes…"

The only outward clue to Kiron's feelings was a single nod of approval he gave Serona. "Very well. I will convey your desire to our lord and speak to him on your behalf. For now, your orders are to remain here, until you are well enough for service. Concentrate on your healing, and then, you will be shown to your quarters."

Kiron rose to his feet and turned to leave and allow Serona to carry out her given order, then thought better of his plans and turned to face her, again. "Welcome into the service of Lord Emperor Frost." He quickly turned with a flourishing wave of his cape and left the medical bay to fulfil his end of he and Serona's agreement, confident his lord would be pleased.

Serona was not sure to what she had just agreed. Her eyes turned to the medic, who was approaching her, and watched his every move. She did not like being alone one bit.

"If you would come this way," the doctor said, trying to lead her by her arm. She shrugged it back roughly from him.

"I can walk," she told him. "What do you want?"

The doctor explained the regeneration tank methodology to her: how it accelerates healing under a state of unconsciousness.

"You want me to strip and let you put me in a regeneration tank where I am _completely _defenceless?" Serona asked measurably as she backed away from the machine.

The doctor was stunned at her reaction and could only nod at her question. "Not completely bare…" he tried to offer in reassurance.

"Not a chance," she said.

"But, Lord Kiron…"

"No. Not you, not him. No."

"Serona, I am only trying to help," the doctor started to plead, wanting to fulfil his duties and treat his patient to the best of his ability. Disappointing Lord Commander Kiron was a dangerous mistake. Though his form of justice was fair, it was also often swift and violent.

"Stay away…" Serona warned in a dangerously low voice. Her body was taut with tension, as ki flicked around her fingertips in warning.

The doctor lookedat the Saiyan despairingly. There was a long list of patients to tend on this planet and fighting a frightened woman was not an activity for which the doctor had time. He looked over his diagnosis from the brief check-up he had given her under Kiron'ssupervision and sighed.

"Okay, then," herelented. "This way."


	2. New Beginnings

Thank you for sticking with us for the next installment! My co-author, hippiechic is a wonderful and thorough writer and perfection (as much as we can reasonably get it to!) takes us a bit of time. Hopefully it won't be too long until the next. So please, enjoy!

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Commander and Saiyaness

Arc One: Out of the Prison and Into the Training Room

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

Kiron placed his large, pale hand against a pad in the hallway, then without waiting to seek permission, entered the room. The room was still bare, as the newest occupant did not have mementos or other such debris with which to clutter her quarters.

He turned his eyes on the oddly coloured Saiyaness. "How are you finding your new quarters? Are the accommodations agreeable?" Of course, he knew compared to her last quarters in the prison cell...this room was comparable to living in a palace, small as it was. Even after staying in the sick bay – as she healed the long, traditional way – the privacy of a door must seem luxurious by comparison.

Serona turned around at his entrance, relieved to see it was Kiron but still unhappy with the manner of his entrance.

"It is nice to actually have a bed," she said gesturing toward the modest single pushed against the wall, perfectly made. She stepped away from the commander, pulling at her newly laundered uniform with disdain and nerves.

"Is there anything you wish of me, My Lord?" she asked carefully, the words of respect unusual and unwelcome in her mouth, as she decided she would not be using them very often.

Kiron shook his head. "No. You have no orders at this time, other than to settle into your new schedule. You will find that," he moved to turn on a scene on the desktop, "listed here. It will give you your daily agenda and any advisories for the crew." He stepped back then pulled a scouter from a pouch on his belt. "This is your scouter. It will keep you in touch with central command and me, as you are serving under my direct command at this time." He held the scouter out for Serona to claim.

"How are you feeling after your stay in medical? I must say, you took much longer to heal than I had assumed would be necessary."

Gingerly, she accepted the scouter and inspected the buttons, hoping to avoid questions about the events in the medical bay. She shuffled the device in her hands before glancing up to see Kiron waiting for an answer.

She cleared her throat nervously. "I suppose, I had more injuries than first anticipated?" she offered, before silently berating herself for the obviousness of her lie. Her medical information was on file, a simple thing for him to check.

Kiron silently watched Serona. He knew by doing so, she would get the message: he knew she was not being fully honest with him. "In the future, I hope this will not be the case."

Serona's eyes darted around the room, hating that she felt like a small child being chided. Finally, she relented. "I wasn't getting into that machine."

A single lifted, bare brow was Kiron's only physical response to her words. "I see. Is there any particular reason for that?"

"Yes! I wasn't about to willingly put myself in a compromising position like that…" she started off strong and then tailed away. The second-in-command would not be interested in her background.

He considered her position on the matter then gave a single nod. "I expect that to change in the future. We do not have the time to waste when our soldiers are seriously injured. Keep that in mind," he stated simply.

"I am not stopping your other soldiers from being healed if I am not in the regeneration tank…" she mumbled, wishing she could stop herself before she faced the inevitable punishment for her insubordination. She flinched, waiting for the 'instant justice' to be administered to her.

Kiron watched Serona for a moment, fighting a twitch of his lips and a short chuckle of amusement. "You sell yourself short. Perhaps, you are the soldier I would prefer to be healed."

Serona opened one eye and saw he had made no move to strike her, nor did he look like he was about to do so.

"You haven't even seen me fight yet," she said quizzically.

"You are in my personal retinue. That gives you certain privileges and responsibilities," he answered simply, having regained his composure. His facade was once again the perfectly stoic mask all but his closest associates knew to be typically Kiron.

Serona gave up trying to maintain an air of intelligence. "I don't understand."

His lips twitched into the momentary semblance of a smile, again. "I will explain. You are my personal...assistant. Your job is to assist me in whatever way I ask, in order to keep the empire functioning smoothly. That is why it is imperative, that if you are injured, you are healed quickly and completely. It is my responsibility to keep you from harm's way, and it is your responsibility to serve me faithfully."

"Okay…" she said, nervous about what duties would fall under his "whatever," with an unwelcome shiver down her spine. She looked at him unhappily for a moment while thinking, _'If__this__is__a__trick__I__will__find__a__way__to__kill__him.'_ "Why are you doing this?"

A long moment passed before he decided to respond. "If I were to put you in the regular command, what would you do?"

"Regular command? Out with those hapless minions?" She frowned at the thought. She had not been in the main hull of the ship for long, but the idiots flittering in and out of the medical bay annoyed her enough with their snide comments and suspicious looks. Finally she sighed. "Is this a trick question? I would follow orders until…"

She looked up at Kiron, knowing she had sealed herself into completing the sentence.

"Until the Ice-jin resort to their old ways."

Kiron nodded once. "I assumed, if you were placed with the troops, you would be determined to outclass them. Also, their pettiness has never settled well with any Saiyan in the past.

"Then, there is the issue of your trust. Would you truly obey orders muddled by the chain of command?" He gazed at her as if he were peering into her soul. "That was rhetorical, of course. We would both be better served by you not answering that question, though we both know the answer. For these reasons, you are under my command. Besides, there will be much to do once we return to Ice-sei. We will be kept exceedingly busy."

"I wouldn't need to try to outclass them; it would be easily done with a few days of training!" Serona replied, insulted at the thought that the clowns out there could defeat her.

Kiron's lips twitched again as he almost smiled, and he reached his hand out to tweak her chin. "And, that is yet another reason you are mine."

Serona did not flinch with the touch of his skin upon hers; rather, an unusual, unpredicted sense of security seemed to come with it. This man had not even given a hint that he wanted to hurt her, and she found herself feeling more reassured in his presence than not. He was the one who had opened the door and removed her from the cell...

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she frowned again. "I am not yours!" she insisted stoutly, reaffirming her words by pulling from his reach.

A single brow lifted on Kiron's chiselled face, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly. "As a matter of fact, you are. However, you need not worry about me abusing my position." He paused a moment to purposefully allow his eyes to drift from her face down her body, considering her as more than a solider - a woman.

Kiron's eyes returned to Serona's. "Though, I suppose you would suffice if you so wished." He knew his words would incite her, but he could not help himself. His repartee with this impudent Saiyan woman was, by far, the most fun he had allowed himself in...longer than he could rightly remember.

"Suffice?" Serona echoed in disbelieving anger. "Suffice? Nothing about me will _suffice_! I am always better," she declared, not exactly sure from where her confidence to make sure claims came, but she would be damned before she was considered as merely sufficient in any respect.

Without giving any hint to his thoughts, Kiron stepped so closely to Serona their chests grazed one another. He leaned down so that his lips almost brushed her ear, and spoke softly, his voice deep. "Perhaps, you will deign me worthy of proving your boast to me in the future." He took a breath, taking in her scent, then slowly straightened, brushing his lips against her cheek in a rough, fleeting almost-kiss.

The commander had never taken liberties with his crew. In fact, he had never placed himself in such a position with anyone, crew member or not. However, there was simply something about this Saiyaness. Something about her brought a boldness to Kiron he had never experienced before their meeting. He had never so much as flirted before today. Yet, after reading through the files containing much of Serona's past, he knew the question of sex – consensual or not – would be raised sooner or later.

His closeness took her breath away in a manner no previous encounter had. His lips were so tantalizingly close to hers, she could feel her blood begin to rush. As his skin brushed against hers, her resolve disappeared.

"Future?" she asked in a breathless whisper.

A smugness crept into Kiron's eyes at Serona's response to him. He had not lost his touch...not that he had ever attempted to seduce a woman. His life had been far too fraught with danger and horror for such frivolities. His life had been devoted to the future emperor at the moment he was placed into the ownership of Prince Gelid and sworn his allegiance to the young Prince Frost. Kiron had only been a child at the time, though most would argue he was never truly a child.

He looked down at the Saiyan woman whose full height was well beneath his broad shoulders, frozen for a moment, then decided, that for the first time in his memory, Kiron would do something he knew was foolish. He leaned down to her and pressed his lips against hers for a soft kiss, then withdrew them. "Yes, the future," he murmured softly, fighting waves of both embarrassment at his brazenness and the desire to kiss her much, much more soundly. What was it about this woman which brought such feelings to him? The desire to claim to...protect.

"What?" she asked at the bluntness of the abrupt end to their intimacy. She frowned as her face turned red, causing her to look down to help her hair cover her shame.

Seeing the distress he had caused Serona, Kiron gently tipped her face toward his, his eyes open to her. "That was inappropriate. I apologize. It will not happen again without your consent." He swallowed hard, the muscles in his large jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth in frustration with himself and his behaviour.

Unsure how he could rectify this encounter, he released his hold on Serona and took a large step back from her. Instantly, he was the restrained, professional administrator. "If you require anything, contact Central Control." He gave a single nod to her then quickly exited her quarters, already berating himself for giving into the very feelings he had fought so hard to conquer. Emotions were the enemy, just as much as any other. If he allowed himself to make one mistake…

"You had my consent…" Serona whispered as he left. She stumbled to the doorway like a freshly born fawn, weak at the knees. Opening the door, she swung around in the direction Kiron had left, still holding onto the door's frame.

"Kiron!" she called to the retreating figure.

Kiron could not stop the jump he felt in his chest, as he heard Serona call his name. He froze in the hall and took a deep breath to regain his composure before turning to face her, his face an unreadable mask. "Do you require something?"

Serona looked around helplessly, before locking eyes with him. She lightly nipped her bottom lip in thought before letting it slide back into its normal position. With a raised eye brow, she nodded.

Seeing Serona's discomfort, Kiron glanced up then down the hall before returning his eyes to hers. "Is this matter of a...personal nature?"

With a slight smile, she nodded, again.

Kiron took another breath then gave Serona a nod and returned to the room. When the door closed behind the woman, he turned to face her. "I am very sorry for overstepping the bounds of our professional, working relationship. I will be more considerate in the future and treat you as any commander should treat their troops."

Having heard enough, Serona snaked an arm around Kiron's neck and pulled into him, kissing him unashamedly.

The forcefulness of the Saiyan woman surprised Kiron into a complete lack of action, his pale aqua eyes widened into caricatures of their normal selves before closing to eliminate distraction. Surely, this was a dream. This could not be happening. It simply was not possible. Had he hit his head when he left the room? No, that could not be it. The only other option left for him was: this was truly occurring.

All these thoughts passed through Kiron's mind in the matter of a second before his arms instinctively wrapped themselves around the dainty waist of the female pressing herself against him. As he realized his arms had moved, Kiron took note of another part of his anatomy, which had begun to react naturally to Serona's advances as well.

Before he could lose complete control of the situation, Kiron lifted his hands to cradle Serona's face in his palms then pulled his head back enough to break their kiss and allow him to peer into her eyes. "Truly, we should not. This is a very bad idea," he spoke softly, giving voice to the duties he would much rather ignore, a fact which was beginning to be pounded home by a dull throb in his nether regions.

Serona pulled back from him, his words starting to strike a chord. As she caught her breath, sense finally settled in – along with the bitter reminder of a promise made years ago and the feeling this encounter would be significantly different to the insults she made to that promise over the years.

"I-…I can't," she stuttered as she pushed Kiron toward the door, manoeuvring her way from his embrace. "I'm sorry."

Kiron caught Serona's wrist in his hand and pulled her back to him, his eyes intense. "You have no need to apologize." He broke eye contact as his orbs wandered down to her full lips, brightly coloured from her flush of desire and their kisses. He swallowed hard again and instantly lifted his eyes back to hold hers. "I should not have allowed things to progress this far. I do ask for your forgiveness."

Serona's hand folded into a light fist as Kiron retained their contact, gauging the size of him in comparison to her, her head only reaching his chest and his bulk much, much wider, sturdier...powerful. She gave her arm a small tug and found his grip firm.

"I have nothing to forgive," she said quietly, curling her free arm behind her back to rub her hair between her fingers.

Kiron nodded, his face serious. Then without warning, he once more cupped her chin in his large hand and tipped her face up toward his and kissed her solidly, his tongue seeking entrance.

_'__What__are__you__doing?!__'_ a voice screamed in the back of his mind. A step closer to Serona, their bodies touching, quickly silenced his conscious.

At the risk of losing herself and letting herself give into his affections, it took all Serona's being to push him away. "No!" she cried out. "I can't! I am not my own to give!"

She pulled away, searching Kiron's face for the answer to her woes.

A flush darkened Kiron's face from both his frustrations and embarrassment. Unable to see an action which would allow him to regain his dignity, his eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a rough step back. "I-... What do you mean when you say, not your own to give?"

Her mouth agape, Serona's gaze found a resting place upon the floor. "I'm betrothed…" The words burned her mouth, the tradition - a curse she had been thrust into from birth, a promise she was bound to keep for the honour of her dead parents and her dead king. And, for all the loathing she felt toward it, it had also been the only beacon of hope during her days under Frieza's command and her years confined to a destitute prison planet. The hope that he, her prince, would find her, want her and save her, making the torture she had lived through have meaning, an end.

"Be-...betrothed?" Kiron stumbled over the archaic word. _'Are__Saiyans__evolved__enough__to__have__betrothals__from__childhood?'_

Serona nodded as she could all but hear his brain processing the information. She held her breath as she waited for his response, not sure which option of the few possibilities this could end with she would prefer.

He took a deep breath to calm himself more. "You are betrothed to a Saiyan, I assume."

"Oh, yes," she said bitterly. He was indeed Saiyan. Not just any Saiyan. _The_ Saiyan. The chosen. The first born of King Vegeta. A Saiyan, so anticipated...who did not even know she still lived. A Saiyan, so arrogant, he thought the Ice-jin rule ended with Frieza and then his older brother. A Saiyan who was supposed to be hers.

"Serona," Kiron began, "the Saiyans are all dead. You are freed from your betrothal."

Serona shook her head, wanting to believe she was free from the betrothal but knowing it to be false. "It isn't true. I would know if he was dead."

"And, how would you know? Serona, the planet was blown into dust," Kiron gently informed her.

"You don't think I know that?" Serona shuffled uncomfortably in her position, before deciding to move to the bed and sit. "When Zarbon…took me…for Frieza..." she hesitated, trying to only think of the important details, rather than reeling-off a mini-biography, "one of his power plays was to let me know Vegeta was coming on board and then ensure that I could never get to him. I knew Vegeta was alive, but Vegeta thought – and I am sure he cared little about– that I had been another casualty of the genocide. As time progressed, I didn't need to be reminded of his location, how he was… I knew. I could feel him."

When Serona sat, Kiron moved to sit beside her, his hands in his lap, and listened to her tale. "Vegeta…" he considered the name. More files existed on this Saiyan prince than any other single Saiyan and even rivalled the amount of data which had been collected on the entire race. "Frieza killed Vegeta. Yet, we have reports he is still alive."

"Frieza managed to do many things to Vegeta…but killing him was not one of them. I did lose track of him, once or twice throughout the years, but he has always come back." Serona frowned as she realised she was giving away too much information. "If your people think he is dead, you will let them continue to believe that, right? You will leave him alone?"

"As I said before, the reports are conflicting." Kiron turned to look face Serona. "It matters not to myself, or My Lord, if he lives. Perhaps the reports from King Cooler's expedition will shed light upon the matter when they arrive. Otherwise, we have problems enough without chasing those so far from our home."

"So, that is where that idiot went…" Serona paused, feeling an ache in her heart at the prospect of the only last Saiyan she knew of being wiped out. "Expedition? You mean extermination! But, it failed. Cooler is dead, I know it," she finished darkly.

Serona jumped up, furious at herself for frolicking with a man so loyal to the Ice-jin, while troops might well be on the hunt for her prince. She looked at Kiron, disgusted, knowing where his loyalties lay and how far away from hers they were. Knowing no outcome to her liking would come to her here, she headed toward her door. When Cooler's data from the expedition was retrieved, it would only be a matter of time before Frost sought revenge for his cousin's defeat. She had to find a way to let the last of her people know there were more Ice-jin poised to attack in an attempt to exterminate them. Anyway of informing them would do…but she had to find a way – she simply had to.

Kiron quickly followed Serona, pulled her back from the door and folded her into his arms pinning hers between their bodies. "Serona, control yourself. You cannot help him." He spoke very distinctly, as he knew spies might likely listen to any conversations he had. "Your last king undertook the mission on his own, and none of us could do a thing to help him. Not even you."

His eyes blazed as he considered the woman in his arms, a woman full of passion. He lowered his lips and roughly kissed hers then moved his mouth to her ear to whisper, "You can do nothing for him. Care for yourself, and remember your allegiance, always," he cautioned her, hoping anyone spying on them might not have heard, or at the very least had misunderstood, his words and intentions.

"I am remembering my allegiance. That's the problem!" she tried to push away from him. The strength of his embrace forced her to duck beneath his powerful arms. "I have to try and do something!"

A growl of frustration erupted from Kiron's throat as Serona managed to wiggle from his embrace and seemed oblivious to the message of warning he was trying to impart. He instantly grabbed her arm. Turning quickly, he forcefully pushed her onto the bed - so she would not be injured - and climbed atop her, using his weight to pin her, so she could not harm herself by struggling against his overwhelming might and mass or go running from the room spouting treacherous words. "Remember your allegiance! The oath **you** swore!"

Serona's body went cold at the helplessness of her current position. Although there was something about Kiron, imploring her to trust him, she could not let her mind be clouded – or let go of her past. She had been in this position before; her body forfeited to a man's desires. She stared at Kiron coldly, her face impassive, daring him to do his worst. Fighting Kiron now, would be pointless; she would have her chance to help Vegeta later, no matter the cost now.

Kiron's eyes searched Serona's for a clue to her thoughts. "Will you remain calm? Can you act without being rash, now?"

Serona narrowed her eyes slightly, before relaxing them, again. "Yes," she stated.

He gave a single nod before slowly moving off Serona. "At this time, there is nothing anyone can do. You can pray to whatever deity you prefer. Otherwise, we must wait for information. To do anything else is foolhardy and will harm the very ones we wish to protect. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Now, get out," she said with a growl, sitting upright as Kiron moved.

Kiron began to respond to Serona and froze with his mouth agape. His face almost instantly returned to his normal, stoic mask. "Kiron, here." He listened intently to a voice only he could hear, focusing on keeping his breathing calm. "Understood." He turned his eyes back to Serona.

Knowing he was not talking to himself, Serona studied his face for any clue to the nature of the call, but she was unable to deduce anything. She pushed her tongue against her bottom teeth in an effort to stop herself from talking, but it was to no avail.

"What?"

"Your problem has resolved itself," Kiron stated flatly. "The reports have finally been retrieved. Your prince is alive, and your late king is confirmed to be dead."

"Don't lie to me," Serona started warningly. "I have had enough mind games played on me for them to wash off my back like a greased Ice-jin."

Before Kiron could fully form a response to Serona's words, her phrase, "like a greased Ice-jin," caught his attention. Without realizing it, he allowed a single snort of laughter to escape his lips. "Like a greased Ice-jin?" He raised a brow as he peered at her.

Serona blushed, despite herself and the topic they were debating. "Well, they are a slimy bunch; they wouldn't need much greasing!" Serona's inner dignity had completely given up hope of redemption. It was yelling at her to just stop talking. "So, he is safe?" she said, attempting to divert the conversation.

"Your prince is alive," Kiron stated, "and the emperor, crowned in the interim, requires my services." He rose from her bed. "Finish settling in, get some food, and then report to Emperor Frost's audience chamber to see if I have farther orders."

Serona put her face into her hand and leaned on her knee, Kiron's words barely registering past, "your prince is alive." She smiled in disbelief, shaking her head. And, Cooler was dead. That tyrant, no better than his brother, had been vanquished and debts were paid. She laughed, a small hiccup of a laugh as a ray of hope shone, once again.

Seeing Serona's distracted state, Kiron placed a hand on her shoulder. "Finish what you were doing, eat, then report to me for farther orders. Until then, I will be reviewing the latest data and helping our lord prepare for a visit from foreign royalty when we return, though, I am sure he will be quite displeased to hear confirmation of the late king's death, his cousin."

The touch brought her thoughts back into the room. "Yes, of course," she said automatically, her default reply to 'orders' given to her thus far on the ship.

Kiron gave Serona a single nod of acceptance then turned to exit her room. He paused before opening her door to discreetly rearrange himself more comfortably before leaving with his back ramrod straight. His destination: Emperor Frost.


	3. Whatever Happened to Vegeta?

Sorry to keep you waiting, it is hard enough when you are an author by yourself, but when you collaborate with the wonderful hippiechic and both have lives... and rely heavily on your co-authors amazing editing skills, it takes a long time. I hope it was worth the wait... There is an X-rated version being posted on a different hosting website, if you would like the link, feel free to PM me. Or come on over to Mt. Paozu's Gathering and demand it from us! ;)

Commander And Saiyaness

Arc One: Out of the Prison and Into the Training Room

Chapter 3: Whatever Happened to Vegeta?

Serona sat in the emptying mess hall, eating the left-overs she had picked up from the serving line. She preferred eating like this, with fewer eyes watching her, and the crew members most opposed to her presence foolishly exposed themselves by lingering long after their comrades had left. She memorised their faces, knowing of whom to be wary.

A few days had passed since her encounter with Kiron and the news of Vegeta's and Cooler's fates. The ship had a vibe of anticipation. Their, now fully-legitimized, emperor was hosting the ascension of a new ruler from another planet, and such an event would surely entail plenty of feasts and parties.

An exhausted Kiron swept into the dining hall and approached the cook to give his personal order. While most of the crew were confined to eating on a specific schedule, and only what was provided them, Kiron was given the special privilege of being able to order his food since his position caused him to miss many meals in the service of his lord.

As he waited for his food to be prepared, Kiron leaned against a wall and tried to relax his broad, muscular shoulders. The details and complications, not to mention politics, of planning the security needed for hosting the crowning of a foreign king and queen had taken quite a bit out of the second-in-command. The tension in his body felt as if he were carrying the entire ship on his back, and he had the knots to prove the ship was not light!

Serona could not fail to notice the second-in-command as he entered, but then again, not many could. She had noticed a pattern with the man: late orders for the quickest, most nutritiously dense meal with no regard to flavour.

She looked over the tray of food she had consumed without a thought, and with regret, realised the slowly roasted casserole had been reduced to only a few gravy streaks. Only the last miniature pavlova stood untouched before her. Clearing her tray, she took the plate with the tasty treat and headed toward the exhausted commander.

Coming into his field of vision, she stood clasping the plate, awkward under his gaze and confused by her own actions. "For pudding, after…"

A soft voice interrupted Kiron's train of thought, and he rushed to catch up with what had been said to him, failing miserably. "...Serona," he finally greeted her softly.

Kiron was clearly exhausted, in need of sugar, drink and sleep. Not wanting to linger and bother him longer than needed, she thrust the plate toward him.

"For later," she repeated.

When Serona repeated herself, Kiron looked downward to the plate held in her delicate hands with the offered sweet-...and froze. A Saiyan was offering her food to _him_?

He almost gave a hint of a smile as the lines around his mouth relaxed. "Thank you, Serona," he spoke softly then took the plate from her hands. "How was your-...meal?" he questioned, having no inkling of the time or the proper name of the meal she had eaten.

"The evening meal was ample. Thank you." She stood, unsure of what to do next. With a slight nod as a sign of respect, she left, leaving Kiron to some much-needed, well-deserved alone time with his food.

"Wait, Serona," Kiron called to her. "I have been reading some files in the archives, and I have some information I believe will be of interest to you. We should speak later," he glanced around them, "in private."

"Whose files?" she asked with dread. The files the Ice-jin had kept, from before even Frieza's time, were meticulous and detailed. As one reared under the nefarious Ice-jin's control from a tender age, Serona expected no aspect of her life to be spared in the details.

Though he was unsure why Serona had suddenly grown pale and her voice tightened, Kiron simply answered her question. "The new files we received."

Serona exhaled with visible relief. New. That was fine. "Yes, of course. When?"

Kiron glanced toward the cook as a second plate was handed to him. He then turned his attention back to Serona, his hands full of food. "When I finish eating would suit me."

"Sure, where?"

He softly sighed as he glanced at the food he desperately wanted to eat then digest while sleeping, though he knew that would not be an option. "Take one of these, and follow me." He offered Serona her plate, so he would be able to manage his door.

Serona obliged, following Kiron down a lesser-used corridor where the officers' quarters were located. She watched as he easily entered when the door opened in response to his personal code, entered with his free hand. She hovered in the doorway, taking in the vastly bigger room, completed with a small living area. Against the wall was a large, but neatly kept, office desk and a huge king-sized bed was centred along the far wall. Two small doors most certainly lead toward an en suite bath and a closet large enough to hold the commander's uniforms and amour. While the room lacked adornments or any superfluous additions, it was sized appropriately for the imposing man.

Realising Kiron expected her to enter, she stepped in, still holding his second plate of food as she followed him into the bedroom. She looked around further, noting the huge bed, as could only be expected for a man of Kiron's stature. Another desk with a desk chair and a padded chair near it graced the wall opposite the bed, and an en suite sat just beyond the bedroom door.

Kiron shuffled to his desk and sat down his plate then removed his scouter and also set it on the desktop when he noticed Serona offering him the other plate. He gratefully received the plate then realized she was still standing. "Have a seat." He motioned to a plush chair near the desk then took his own seat and began to eat.

After taking a few bites, Kiron touched a screen on his desk, which then raised itself from the desk to be positioned and used as needed. He entered some information then began looking through various files while eating with his free hand. When he finally found the file he wanted, he turned the screen around to face Serona.

"Skim that while I eat," he ordered before taking another bite of food.

Serona sat and gazed nonchalantly at the screen, her eyes skimming over the symbols she knew to one more educated, would contain meaningful words. The few words she could make out, seemed to suggest her betrothed was well. However, her face began to fall before giving way to a slight frown as she continued down the paragraphs and the sheer magnitude of so much information before her, if she could only read.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked, swallowing her emotions at her ineptitude to understand and her caution in trying to make sense of what she did deduce.

Kiron looked at her as he pushed away his now-empty food tray. "I thought you wanted to know how your prince is. This is the first definitive information we have received in a very long time."

Serona fleetingly glanced at Kiron before her eyes returned to the screen. "He has a son," she said tenderly, wrapped a hand around her stomach and lightly gripping the fabric of her uniform.

"You-...are not happy?" Kiron softly questioned, having noticed how she held her stomach.

"No, it's great. There is an additional half-Saiyan in the universe. It is good news... Will you leave them alone?"

"I have no reason to harm them," Kiron stated simply. "And, I did believe you would be glad to hear of the young prince. Though-...you do understand that means he has moved forward with his life on planet Earth."

"He is the prince, he…has every right to," she tried to shrug off the sensation building inside her. "He didn't even know I survived; it was to be expected. And, even if he did…I couldn't… I wouldn't be… I'm not able to..." she stumbled over her words. It _was_ good Vegeta had a son, but it stung her that it was not with her. Could not be with her. She bit her lips together, unable to form any coherent words.

While Serona struggled to express her thoughts and feelings, Kiron simply watched her closely. Saiyans were a strange lot, and for reasons he could not explain, this particular Saiyan had piqued his interest. She was a conundrum, one he was determined to understand.

He gently laid a hand on Serona's knee. Of course, he had read her medical report, but as to how a woman felt about such things, he could only speculate. Rather than force words upon her he was unsure she wished to hear, he preferred to offer her his silent empathy and the chance for her to elaborate, should she choose to do so.

Serona, surprised at the contact, jumped slightly in her chair before standing. "He is a prince. It is his right to do as he pleases. However, it does not change my position. I am sworn to him until my inevitable release," she replied, trying control her emotions in a manner fitting of a royal Saiyan.

Emotions were a sign of weakness, and she needed to learn to control hers. So, he had moved on. She did not know what else she could have expected. He did not know she survived, as she had always known of him and his welfare. She was still confined here, while he could exert his rule over his new planet.

"If he is not of your concern anymore, why bother keeping me? I am the closest thing you have to an ally among Saiyans–…"

_'__All_ _three_ _of_ _us,__'_ she thought, weakening the strength of her argument. Giving up her train of thought she fell into silence.

"Are there any further orders for me?" she finally asked.

Kiron watched Serona in silence as she spoke, waiting patiently for her to finish and attempting to glean any information possible from her actions and reactions. "Sit," he commanded softly, yet firmly, "and help me finish this-...pudding." He held up the cup she had given him before and two spoons.

Serona looked at Kiron, confused by the command. Not in the mood to be berated for not following orders, she slowly lowered herself back in the chair, crossed her legs and accepted a spoon. She had no desire to eat. She would rather wallow alone or immerse herself in mundane orders for distraction, not share a pudding.

Gingerly, Kiron dipped the tip of his spoon into the pudding and brought the glob to his lips. As the smooth concoction flowed across his tongue, he gave his slight smile, and his eye lids partially closed in delight. "This is good," he stated simply.

Serona watched Kiron motionlessly with an unchanging face. She did not feel anything over the consumption of the pudding: the crisp sugar with the chewy inside, the tart berry sauce on top of a smooth whipped cream, the satisfaction of the crunch and the flood of flavours in the palate. As Serona took a few more spoonfuls, she soon found herself wishing she had not given Kiron the pudding at all.

After his first spoonful, Kiron took another and pushed the cup toward Serona before leaning back in his chair, allowing himself a moment of relaxation as he savoured his treat. Rarely did he permit himself the luxuries he ensured for his troops - though few seemed to notice. Many years ago, he had determined he would never accept the lavish privileges commonly given to those of his status. He found them to be frivolous, causing the commanders to become soft and out of touch with their men. Kiron much preferred to live a more Spartan lifestyle, ensuring that when he gave an order, everyone knew he was not asking more of his men than he was willing to undertake himself.

"Please, enjoy the rest." He nodded to Serona.

While she did not feel like eating, the offer of food brought forth her instincts. Picking up the pudding, she demolished it in far fewer spoonful than any self-respecting woman should. Suddenly very aware of the eager manner of her consumption, but too late to rectify her actions, she placed the cup on the empty plate in preparation for returning them to the mess hall.

In the midst of Serona's devouring of the pudding, Kiron had lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "I can order you another plate, if you are still hungry."

Serona shook her head while checking her mouth for wayward pieces. Food aside, she was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. She looked around the room, her eyes falling back to the open bedroom door. She had done a couple of things she was not proud of in the confines of a bedroom, and she had never entered another's bedchamber with the intention of only talking.

"I should take those back," she said, gesturing toward the plates, looking for something to do.

Kiron glanced at the plates and waved them away with a gesture. "Leave them. Someone will collect them later." He stood and stretched a bit from his chair then turned to go to his en suite before seeming to remember Serona was still there. "I have a collection of files unlocked, if you are interested reading them. Apparently, it was not Vegeta who defeated Frieza or Cooler. There is another Saiyan male alive, a third-class." He waved his hand to signify the end of his information and entered his en suite to prepare for a quick nap.

"Another Saiyan?" Serona asked in wonder, eagerly jumping at the opportunity Kiron had given her and entering the file. "Go...ku?" she tried to read in confusion. Goku was not a traditional Saiyan name by any means. She mulled over the name, unsure if she was pronouncing it correctly. Goku…. Go-ku. No, no recollection at all.

She scrolled down further, the collection of words rather meaningless to her. Two words that were underlined caught her attention.

'...Super Saiyan...'

She started at the words, trying to put them into a verbalisation she could understand. They must be important to be highlighted so. She recognised the curve of letters representing her race sure enough, but the word before... Could it really be?

She blinked, and forced herself to interpret the word again. It was true; it said clearly. The thought excited her.

_"__He_ _can_ _turn_ _into_ _a_ _Super_ _Saiyan__… __So,_ _the_ _scriptures_ _are_ _true;_ _the_ _form_ _does_ _exist__…__'_

She flicked back to Vegeta's file, trying to find the familiar word to see if her Prince could take the form as well, which is what she was assuming from her few words of understanding. She soon realised that he could achieve the form as well. A smile crept across her lips unwillingly. He had done it. As a child, he was determined he would achieve the state. Her chest filled with an emotion with which she was unfamiliar – pride.

She scrolled down further.

'...Kakarot..."

What? Another name?

She read and re-read the name, hoping she was simply reading it wrong. '_Kakarot,_ _son_ _of_ _Bardock,_ _the_ _infamous_ _seer?_ _Brother_ _to_ _Raditz?'_ she thought with dread.

The last realisation caused her to retreat from the screen, as if the inanimate object could bring the latter back to life with only a thought. Any desire to get to this inhabitable planet was rapidly diminishing. Recovering, she approached the screen again, cautiously turning back to Kakarot's file. He too, had a son, it seemed to suggest. With a snort, she hoped the child would at least be brought up with some sense of honour. Content with what she had deduced, and wanting to minimise the time Kiron would have to realise her misgivings, she turned the screen off before sheepishly looking around the room.

If Kiron had been watching, she must have looked ridiculous.

While Serona had been reading the files on Goku and Vegeta, Kiron had relieved himself and taken a very quick shower, as only military men are able. Stepping out of the shower stall, he reached for a towel, grateful a new flagship would soon be ready for service and included the upgrade of warm air blowers in each shower stall.

His hair still slightly damp and hanging just below his shoulders, Kiron quickly ran a comb through it to remove any knots before wrapping his towel around his waist when he remembered Serona was still in his quarters.

The door slid open to reveal the massive, exhausted warrior. He glanced at Serona then walked to his bureau to retrieve boxer brief-like underwear, which he then slid on under his towel before throwing the damp cloth at a laundry shoot.

"Did you find anything of interest?" he moved to look over her shoulder at the screen.

"Erm," Serona pondered as she turned to face Kiron, only to be faced with his perfectly chiselled, nearly bare body a whisper away from her face. Startled, she fell off the chair.

Scrambling a meter or so away from the man, she stood, concentrating on looking at his face…and nowhere else. _'Don__'__t_ _look_ _down._ _Don__'__t_ _look_ _down...'_ she kept telling herself, as she concentrated to answer his question. If she could remember his question.

"Er, no?" she said, as she could feel her eyes starting to drop. With a curse, she dragged them back to his face. "Do you require anything else of me today?" she asked as she felt herself start to blush despite herself. He certainly was a fine specimen of a man.

"Is something amiss?" Kiron asked, as he watched Serona's showing of discomfort.

"Yes, your clothes!" Serona burst out, closing her eyes.

Kiron blinked in surprise as he had never confronted this problem in the past. As a soldier, he was accustomed to being in various states of dress around his men and some of the women while conducting missions or urgent business. However, if Serona was bothered, he would try to remedy her discomfort. He returned to his bureau and pulled a shirt from a drawer and dragged it over his head, shaking his hair free of the collar with two quick turns of his head. A glance in a mirror revealed, not much had changed, as all the clothing issued to the troops was designed to be skin-tight and stretchy.

He turned back to face Serona. "I apologize for my appearance offending you. I did not realize you would react so-...negatively."

Negative was not the word she would have used. In fact, her body had responded very positively, and now, it was clouding her judgement, thinking instead of… A delightful shiver travelled down her spine.

_'No,_ _stop_ _it!'_ she told herself as she frowned a little deeper before opening her teal eyes she hoped did not reveal her lusty thoughts.

The thin layer of material helped her to admire him in a slightly safer way, and instantly, her eyes fell lower than they should, where his muscular legs were still on display. She tried to divert her eyes, only to unwittingly be drawn to his underwear.

Her eyes widened slightly before she shut them again with a slight smile. _'Good_ _boy__…__'_ she thought to herself, her heart still pounding.

"You said you were unable to locate any files of interest to you…" Kiron started then leaned over the screen. "Perhaps, I can change the parameters and find something for you. I know you wish to know of your past."

"What?" That statement quelled any urges that were pulsating through her. "Wait, why? I lived it; why would I want to read up on it?"

Kiron looked at Serona, confused. "I thought you desired knowledge of your species. Was I mistaken?"

Serona looked back at Kiron, their mutual confusion silencing them. "Not my perso-… You mean the history of the Saiyan race?"

A nod served as answer from Kiron. "Of course."

"Oh," she uttered as she felt the tension leave her face and body. "Is there much to know? I know that we were…" she searched for the words, circling her arm in the air, willing her brain to find the right word, "a somewhat…volatile race. I know what we did to the Truffles, if you wanted to draw some parallel between that and the Ice-jin..." She stopped herself, just slightly too late, once again.

Kiron's brows lowered a bit, and he straightened to face Serona, now towering over her. "Why do you put words into my mouth?"

Serona instinctively took a step back as Kiron regained his full height. She wanted to reply, but words failed her. And, she did not know what she would say, anyway.

"I did not attempt to draw any parallel. I do not wish to harm anyone, and I do not think any less of anyone for the content of their files. Perhaps, this information will end some of your misconceptions about me." Kiron stood still, surveying Serona for her reaction.

"Judge?" Serona repeated. "Judge me? What do those precious little files have to say about me that you would have any basis on which to judge me?" she asked, clenching her right hand in and out of a fist in nerves and anger.

Seeing the reaction his statement brought, Kiron knew he had found a nerve. "Is there something in your file you wish to hide?"

"No!" Serona replied indignantly. "It is just wrong that my life is yours to read as thoroughly as you want! Which I assume you have at least? Was the fact I was already betrothed in there, or has it been updated?"

Rather than rise to the provocation, Kiron simply allowed Serona to vent. "I read your file to determine what to do with you after your imprisonment. I have had nothing new to add to your file other than your new rank and station." A strange, faraway look crossed his eyes. "Some crew members wished their files revealed half as much about them as yours reveals about you." Something in his tone intimated, he is speaking of himself.

"That is my point, you decided before even getting to know me. So, what did mine reveal about me? Is there anything you don't know? Do you know how each scar was made? Do you know how I was taken? Why? Does it tell you the absolute torture those bastards put me through?"

She breathed, her body shaking with anger as his words started to sink into her frantic mind. "What would your file say about you?" she asked solemnly, noticing his thoughts had trailed somewhere else.

Kiron shook his head, avoiding her question. "I read how you came to the Ice-jin. I then skipped most of your file. I had no need to read of Frieza's-..." his jaw clenched, "entertainment. What I needed was to know if you were a threat. The rest, I learned from speaking with you."

"Well, apparently, I have revealed too much," she stated coolly. "You have the luxury of revealing what you want, when you want to me, to anyone. If you don't want to tell me, that is fine. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some orders to complete before I retire for the day."

She stood, wanting to turn on her heel and walk out but feeling that would be a step too far – he was the second-in-command, despite the casual tone on which their conversation balanced.

For reasons unknown to him, Kiron felt compelled to explain himself to Serona. "I know nothing of my past. I do not even know from what planet or race I hail. The files do not exist. My history begins when I was given to Prince Gelid and his son, the future Lord Emperor Frost."

"Given?" Serona asked. "No idea…?" Serona thought about his predicament. Not to know where you came from? The legacy of your ancestors? But then, perhaps it is a blessing. No pre-determined ideas are pushed onto you.

"Have you asked Frost?"

Kiron gave a nod. "Emperor Frost," he gently corrected and immediately added, "and I have. That is how I know the files do not exist. He knows even less about my past than I. I was given to him shortly after he was born, and I was-…" he thought for a moment, "I cannot remember." He shook his head at the frustration.

"All the work you do for him, for which I bet you have never asked for anything in return." Her eyes narrowed at him, warning him not to protest if it was true. "And, he can't even follow up on one thing? The information must be somewhere." Her nose wrinkled in disdain as another example of why she detested the Ice-jins was confirmed in her mind.

"He did look," Kiron admitted. "I was with him when he did. He even entered his information and allowed me to search the data bases. The information does not exist, and since that time, I have been given full access to the all the information we possess. I still have found nothing pertinent in the system."

"In the system!" Serona said, frustrated and utterly dumbfounded at their reliance on computers. "What about word of mouth? Hard files on paper? I refuse to believe that there isn't someone who knows something. If he wanted to find the information, he could," she finished, flustered and wound up.

"He has put out inquiries. Nothing has turned up." Kiron shrugged. "For all I know, my planet and people no longer exist."

"How… How can you be so calm?" Serona asked. "If you tell me it is because you trust him, then you are a fool."

"I am many things, but I am not fool," Kiron responded in a low voice, and his eyes narrowed dangerously, informing the Saiyan she was out of line. "I do trust My Lord. I have served him since my earliest memories. How could I not trust him? As for being calm, what good would being distraught do me? Would it give me knowledge? No. Keeping a level head and searching for the truth is the only option left to me, and that is the course I have chosen."

"If that is enough for you…" she started, not sure where to take the topic further. Right now, she was at risk enough, and she wanted to leave. Keeping an eye on Kiron, she stepped over to the dirty plates and picked them up, before standing halfway between him and the door.

"You do not have to remove those. Someone will be in to clean my room shortly after I leave. Did you have any farther questions for which our data bases may hold the answers?" Something about this woman left Kiron unsettled. Certainly, her passion intrigued him. Yet, there was more to her. Yes, he would keep her close and discover her secrets; something deep within him, told him he had no choice in that matter.

"It is no bother… No, I don't believe so. Is there anything you think I should know?" she asked, itching to get out the door.

Kiron watched her closely for a moment before closing the distance between them and relieving her of the plates. "You fear me?" he softly asked, the question completely rhetorical. "You are still waiting for me to turn on you, are you not?"

Serona could not help but retreat a little further as the plates were removed from her and so any form of protection they had imparted; she felt exposed, again. "No?" she replied, more of a question than an answer.

"If that is true, why did you step back, just now?" Kiron closed the distance between them, again.

This time Serona resisted the urge to step back again, determined to maintain her posture. Her heart was pounding, but she realised it was not necessarily all due to trepidation. There was definitely a twinge of excitement and intrigue he had piqued in her in a way no other being had caused.

She pulled her eyes up his body again, ensuring she did not linger appropriately, before locking eyes with him. He had a commanding presence, which demanded either complete respect, or failing that, fear.

"Under Frieza's rule, you learn to trust no one and fear everyone. It is safer that way," she said as she made a point of maintaining the eye contact, before it dawned on her she had just told him the truth. She had not intended to answer at all.

"I am not Frieza. This is not Frieza's ship," he commented softly, yet firmly. "In time, you will learn the difference; though, I had thought you would have begun to see that before now." Kiron's eyes softened as he felt that inevitable impulse he could not deny, to care for her, comfort her and remove her fears and doubts.

His hand raised itself of its own accord and gently caressed Serona's cheek. "You are safe now, so long as you do not foolishly seek trouble. No one will harm you, as long as you are under my protection."

Reaching up, she placed her hand over his, and after letting it linger a little longer than she should, pulled his fingers from her shin. "I have had mind games played on me that spanned months. I simply cannot let myself believe you."

Kiron gently squeezed her hand with his own. "Then, in one year, you will believe." His eyes and stance were open, honest with her. "Things are different, now. You will never have to face such terrors, again."

Though he fought valiantly, Kiron could not stifle the yawn which overtook him, his exhaustion threatening to completely subdue him, whether he was in his bed or on his feet. "You may still stay and look through the opened files, if you like. I must rest."

"I will leave you to your rest. May I be dismissed?" she asked removing her hand from his, as she glanced at the plates once again.

After searching her face to ensure this was her true desire, Kiron finally nodded. "Yes. You are dismissed." He reached around her and programmed the door to open for her. "You should try to get some rest, yourself. I will need you on duty for the coronation and the following celebrations."

Serona turned to leave, rolling her eyes once her face was out of sight from his. She would rather sit this one out, but she did not want to push her luck by defying him. "Yes, of course," she said in her typical manner of acceptance. "Good night," she continued, as she turned and dipped her head slightly.

Kiron returned the slight nod and laid on his bed, almost instantly sleep, even before Serona had time to exit the room.

A/N: So, what do you think? Do you like what you've read so far? Does it leave something to be desired? Well, click that review button and let me know! We can't grow as authors without constructive criticism! Thanks for reading, and we'll see you next chapter!


	4. Training Begins

Commander And Saiyaness

Arc One: Out of the Prison and Into the Training Room

Chapter 3: Training Begins

The days since the coronation passed in quiet boredom for the Saiyaness. The ship had been overloaded with tasks to perform, but due to the nature of her recent employment, and suspicions concerning her trustworthiness, she took the chance to really become acquainted with the ship.

The ship, she discovered, had a fairly monotonous lay out: circles of hallways littered with doors. As she walked, she realised there must be something large within the centre hub of the ship, as the quarters were not particularly large.

Descending into the ship's core, Serona followed her instincts to where the entrance to an interior room would be located, and she was not disappointed. She was pleased to find a large, heavy door. Standing on her tip toes, she peered through a glass window, which only showed the darkness of an empty room. Not to be deterred, she quickly glanced around for a pad to open it, finding none. Frowning at the unusual lack of control, she simply pushed against the metal, and with a creak, the door released itself from its seal and swung open, automatically flicking on the lights.

As the tall room illuminated itself, Serona felt herself becoming warm with excitement as she entered a reinforced training room. She rapped on the walls with sharp knuckles and decided the room must be sound proofed. She then walked the perimeter, getting a feel for the training equipment. She leaned against the punching bags and was pleased when her weight barely made them move, and the weights docked in the dumbbells were mind bogglingly huge.

Serona moved to the weight training clothing, again, mesmerised by the weights of them. She sighed in frustration, realising that the years dwelling on the prison planet had caused her training to suffer. The personnel who trained here were leagues above her. It irked her, and uneasiness filled the Saiyaness at how easily she found herself on a ship where so many had the potential to outclass her.

* * *

Kiron dragged himself from his bed, using all the strength of the will within himself. Since the confirmed demise of Emperor Cooler, he had been far too busy to sleep, much less exercise, and the toll on his body was excruciating. Withdrawals were zapping all his energy reserves.

He sat upon the edge of his bed and moaned softly, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Thankfully, the coronation Emperor Frost had hosted was completed, and now, Kiron was left to attempt to return to a semblance of normalcy. This was his goal as he slowly stood and with bleary eyes, stumbled into his bathroom to prepare for his day.

When he exited his bed, the commander dressed and pulled his hair back with a band and began making his way to the officers' training room. As he walked the long corridors, he recalled the highlights of his day's schedule. All the things on his list could and would wait until he had stretched his body and properly prepared for the day.

The door to the room opened with a gentle push against the door, and Kiron was surprised to find the lights on within the confines. Few officers were awake at these hours, especially the Hota Force, who were almost exclusively the sole other users of the elite training facility. That was exactly why Kiron preferred to train in the early hours of the day, unless he was asked to accompany Lord Frost in the emperor's personal training at a later time.

"Serona?" he asked as he recognized the room's occupant.

So entranced with the room as she was, Serona failed to sense Kiron making his way down to the room, much less notice him as he stepped into the room. She jumped around, her hair splaying around her as she faced Kiron.

"Kiron!" she said with surprise, as her hair over shot and covered her face. Scrabbling to pull it back into place, she finally sorted herself out and brushed her clothing down before noticing she was standing to attention. With a sickening sense of foreboding, she waited for the scolding for her presence in what she assumed to be his private territory.

"Good morning," Kiron stated simply as he considered why Serona was acting peculiarly. "I suppose, I over looked acquainting you with our training facilities. Forgive me."

Serona slightly relaxed at his casual attitude. "Morning," she repeated to him, before gesturing around the room. "It's impressive."

Kiron paused for a moment to look at the room anew, as if he had never viewed it before. "Yes, I suppose it is." He nodded agreement. "We are working on plans for this ship's replacement..." he trailed off, thinking of all the things he had to do that day, including approving some of the alterations for the new flagship.

With one last look around the room, and a contented sigh, Serona moved toward the door. "I am interrupting your training. I apologise. The orders aren't up on the screen, yet." She frowned momentarily, disdaining how impersonal and generic everything on board was. "Is there anything to be done, until then?"

A lifted brow was the only indication of Kiron's amusement. "Yes. You can help me train." He reached up to his shoulders and unfastened the asinine cape, which signified his rank as commander. "Have you stretched, yet?"

"What?" Serona asked before laughing gently. He could not be serious; she was incredibly far beneath him, and despite her Saiyan pride, she knew he could crush her in the blink of an eye.

"Have. You. Stretched?" Kiron asked, speaking each word distinctly.

Serona's eyes grew wide as she began to believe he was not joking at all. Her eyebrows fleetingly knitted together in a physical sign of her reluctance. "No…" she mumbled.

"Stretch," he commanded as he reached for his toes.

Despite wanting to protest, she wordlessly obeyed, starting with her upper body as she looked around the room, planning her excuse and escape.

_'He can't be serious…'_

After stretching his legs, Kiron sat and focused on his arms, not wishing to risk tearing any muscle, tendon or ligament during this adventure. When he finished, he stood and deeply breathed, filling his lungs with fresh air and releasing the tension of the last few weeks. He rolled his massive shoulders and looked to Serona.

"Are you almost ready?"

Shaking herself out, she nodded in resignation of the situation in which she found herself.

Kiron's face was soon all business as he slid into a fighting stance. "Come at me!" he barked at her as he would any soldier upon the ship.

Bracing her posture with a foot behind her, Serona stared at the man who had issued the order. She bit her lip, wondering what he truly expected from her. How far was she meant to go? If the attack was going to land, should she allow it?

A growl filtered between Kiron's teeth at Serona's dismissal of his implicit command. "The enemy will not wait for an engraved dinner invitation before they attack!"

Kiron quickly moved toward Serona. His open palm caught her in her upper chest, just below t articulation point of her collar bones and manubrium as his leg swept her feet from beneath her. She landed flat on her backside at his feet.

"Are you ready, now?"

Serona coughed and wheezed as her lungs struggled to refill with air. The speed at which he had approached had stunned her, and she knew it was not even his maximum. Her chest felt like it was on fire, and she was all but sure there would be a dent in the floor from where she had landed without even a hint of grace.

Recovering slightly, she blinked as Kiron's form above her came into focus.

"Oh, yes," she growled, knowing all bets were off as she swung herself onto her feet, whipping a leg around and trying to sweep his legs out from under him. Her legs landed with a _thud_ against the back of his ankles and the mighty warrior did not flinch. Without looking up, she planned her next attack.

_'This is humiliating!'_ Serona remonstrated to herself, not surprised by the futility of the attack.

From her crouched position she jumped upward, extending her arm into a tiger claw strike - aiming for the man's chin.

Kiron easily swatted away Serona's attack, putting her off balance. "Watch your footing," he ordered, and when she ignored him, he once again, placed her on the ground.

"Pay attention," Kiron commanded, not even winded. He looked as if he were simply walking down a corridor of the ship with no particular destination in mind. "Do not attack blindly. If you let your anger cloud your judgement, you will not be able to anticipate your opponent, and you will keep finding the ground." He stepped back to allow her to find her feet, again.

When Serona lunged at Kiron through her blind fury, he used her momentum to deflect her attack, sending her into a punching bag. "I told you to control your anger."

He stepped back and readied himself for her next assault. '_It appears what they said about a Saiyan's anger is true. Once you incite their fury, all thought seems lost to them. They lust for the fight and nothing else,'_ he silently compared data he had read to Serona's current actions. '_Surely, there must be some way to train them, to tame these warriors. They could be of great benefit to the empire…'_ the thought was cut short as Serona's leg swung at Kiron's head.

Rather than deflect the attack, Kiron simply ducked and allowed the momentum of the kick to keep Serona turning until her back was toward him. He quickly snatched her arm, pinned it behind her back and then pinned her against the wall with his massive body.

"Always have a Plan B," he counselled. "You never know your opponent's abilities in truth until the fight has begun. Always be prepared for anything. Every attack has a counterattack. Be prepared for your opponent to counter, and have your own counter ready."

Serona wriggled against her opponent, his firm grip and her acquaintance with the wall. His coaching only served to infuriated her further. Anger could be a valuable tool in a fight, and she was determined to prove precisely that.

Placing her free arm against the wall, the fuming Saiyaness fired an energy blast to propel the two of them backward, giving her space to manoeuvre herself from her position. Using the wall, she flipped over and around, bringing herself in line with Kiron. Her arm still firmly in his grip, she swung her other hand in a chop to his neck. As she suspected, that attack was caught, as well.

Running short of options, she brought herself face-to-face with Kiron, causing her arms to create an "X" shape between them. One palm faced her; one palm faced him.

With a smile and a twitch of an eyebrow, she concentrated her energy into the hand facing Kiron.

Kiron noticed the building energy in Serona's hand. Yet, he seemed unconcerned about the latest of Serona's harried attacks, as if he were simply waiting for her next move.

"What do you plan to do with that energy? Shoot me?" he questioned. He gave her another moment to build the energy then twisted his grip on her hand and likewise, twisted her hand back toward her until it was resting upon her flesh. "Will you unleash a ki blast, now?"

With a growl, Serona absorbed her ki, as her body curved to accommodate the extra twist. Her hands were incapacitated, so she moved her legs. The movement was predictable, but she had little choice. Scrunching up she brought her knees up as high as she could; she slightly pushed herself away from Kiron. From their close proximity, she unleashed a kick in his gut with what momentum she could muster.

Knowing she had few movements left to her, Kiron was expecting Serona to attempt to use her legs to free herself. As such, he had tightened his abdominal muscles and padded them with extra ki to absorb any attack she might unleash on his softer regions.

As Serona exerted force upon Kiron, he twisted his lips into a slight smirk. "What now?"

The smirk on Kiron's face only served to push Serona to the upper limits of her wrath. With a slight grunt she extended herself as far away from Kiron's grasp as he would allow, before flipping up and landing back-to-back alongside Kiron, their arms above their heads and her feet nowhere near the ground, as she had originally intended.

With a sigh of frustration and a roll of her eyes, she took advantage of her new position – by locking her legs and feet around Kiron's neck.

While Serona moving away from him did not surprise Kiron, her legs ending up around his neck did. She was more flexible than he had given her credit!

Instead of wrestling with her more, Kiron decided to give her a bit of a surprise. He focused his ki around his neck and flared it, forcing her legs away from his skin and her body backward.

Before Serona could hit the ground, Kiron turned and caught her in his arms. "I must admit, you have some nice moves."

Scrambling to her feet she turned to Kiron, indignant. "You didn't have to catch me. That spat was nothing. The enemy would not be so chivalrous," she said almost mockingly, in response to Kiron's earlier lesson.

A smile tugged at Kiron's mouth, softening its usual hardness, though never forming into anything recognizable by any, save Lord Frost and his closest acquaintances. "You are correct. Though, this is a sparring session. If this were a real fight, I could have killed you a dozen times, by now."

"Saiyans are not so easy to kill. I think I'm proof of that," she arrogantly continued, flustered at her lack of strength and ability from the lack of training during the years of her slavery and imprisonment. She tried to think when she had actually trained last, deciding it must have been when the Ginyu Force were still in commission. She sighed.

"If that will be all?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Kiron lifted a brow at Serona and set her on her feet. "You have great flexibility, but your strength needs work. We will spot for one another." Without waiting for a response, he turned his back to her and moved toward some of the equipment. He bents to collect the weights and began putting an unimaginable amount on the bar before laying on the bench press.

"Are you coming?"

"So, you can embarrass me further?" she asked casually as she approached the bench, trying to remain aloof as she glanced at the weights on the bar. Her eyes widened as she glanced down to Kiron's serious expression at the task before him. Turning away, she could not help but mouth, _'Oh, Kai…,'_ and a smile tugged at her lips.

"Serona, I need a spotter," Kiron called. "You will take your turn in a moment. We will get you up to speed in time. You must remain patient until then." He turned all his attention to the weighted bar.

A shiver travelled down her spine as his deep, rich voice called her, for which she immediately castigated herself. Returning her expression to a more stoic mask, she approached the bench, again.

"Yes, of course."

With a soft grunt, Kiron lifted the bar from its holder and began to pump the iron, which heavy enough, it bent the alloy bar. After several sets, he replaced the bar and pointed toward a control panel. "Serona, over there are several sets of controls. Find the knob that says 'Gravity', and turn it about halfway."

He relaxed on the bench, breathing deeply from the beginning of his warm-up, preparing for the real work to begin.

Serona's nose curled in resentment as she duly obliged. Walking to the dial, she began speaking, "I really don't see the point in being here, anymore." She reached and turned the control. "I'm hardly…helping…you…"

Within a few seconds of the dial turning, the floor beneath them hummed and dragged her form mercilessly toward it. Landing on all fours, she tensed against the force, her arms barely preventing her from completely hugging the floor.

"Come, spot for me," Kiron commanded, knowing this would be a chore for the Saiyan.

"You have got to be joking," she muttered under her breath, knowing well the commander knew her difficulty. "You will pay for it…" she softly vowed.

Bringing her legs beneath her most centralized mass, she pushed against the multiplied force of gravity, her body trembling with the exertion. She glowered at Kiron, clearly unimpressed with his actions but determined not to be defeated. Finally, straightening herself, she attempted to walk. The support her one leg had to provide to hold her body's increased weight as she lifted the other was clearly too much as she fell to the floor, this time flat on her back.

Flicking her eyes toward Kiron's watching form, her cheeks turned bright red. "Don't dare turn it down," she said warningly.

"I would not dream of it, Saiyan," he spoke evenly. Her training, under his supervision, had begun.


End file.
